Fear the Unexpected 2
by piper-leo-wyatt
Summary: Continuation. Carrie has Aiden on the phone, Samantha has her relationship to consider, and Charlotte and Miranda are experiencing family upset.


CARRIE

_Ok,_ she thought, _keep calm. Maybe he left something at yours. . .and it's taken him all these years to realise it's missing._ Carrie rolled her eyes in disgust at her foul excuse.

". . .what do you want, Aiden?" She spoke into the receiver, wondering over to the window and peering down at Bigs awaiting car. Right now it looked so inviting; so comfortable.

"Wow, you've certainly changed your phone attitude. How about, Aiden, hey, how are you? How've you been?" Carried saw the window of Bigs car wind down and his big eyes look up at her window. She automatically covered the receiver and smiled down at Big. She pointed to the phone then showed him 5 fingers – _five minutes to clear this mess up_, she thought, wondering back over to the bed.

"Sorry." She paused. "How are you?"

"Ok. Not great. I sort of got divorced last month."

"Oh Aiden, I'm sorry," instantly she fell into sympathetic mode.

"This stuff happens. Anyway, I was sitting alone, I don't have Tater this weekend and I thought; Carrie." She smiled. Then cursed herself for doing so.

"Aiden, that's sweet but. . .I really have to be somewhere right now and-" He cut her off.

"Carrie, I need someone to talk to. I need a friend." She bit her lip.

"A friend?" She asked. There was a long wait before Aiden replied.

". . .a friend."

Samantha

"A baby is a big responsibility Smith. They need feeding and changing and, honey, I'm not that kinda girl." She pulled the silk sheet around her naked body and moved to the edge of the bed.

"I know, but just think how great it would be; you, me and a baby. A mini Smith. Just think about it." Samantha was thinking about it, and it wasn't pretty. She turned to face him and stroked his cheek.

"It's a nice idea, and I'm glad your thinking about your image, but I just don't think a babies the right angle for you." Smith took her hand in his and kissed it.  
"Well I think it is."

"And that's why _I _do all your PR; I know the circuit."

As she padded over to the bathroom and locked herself in, Samantha's insides dropped. She'd never wanted children, not really. When the cancer had first started it had scared her a little at the thought of lost chances, but then who needed babies when there was babes to be had?! Staring at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes were drawn to the wrinkles she desperately tried to keep at bay. No matter how many needles she had injected into her, Samantha Jones was getting older. She was still in great shape. And she still had Smith. But apparently it was becoming increasingly obvious their paths were heading different ways.

Charlotte

Moving away from New York had never been something Charlotte had ever thought about. She'd grown into a New York gal' – it was where she felt at home. The talk of San Francisco was unsettling her, and the more Harry tried to convince her, the more she turned against it.

"I just don't want to leave Harry, Lily has her friends here, and school."

"You mean _you_ have _your_ friends here." Charlotte nodded.

"Yes, ok, I'd miss the girls. But New York is our home Harry. It's where we met. It's where we got married – it's our life. I'm sorry, I just don't to leave."

"Charlotte, this job means a lot, not just for me, my career, but for us as a family. I'd be getting more money, better hours and more respect. We'd be able to live in a nice house, a house _you_ could style, and we'd be able to attempt for a baby." Charlotte's eyes watered at the topic.

"Don't throw that at me Harry Goldenblatt," she scorned, briskly walking from the room.

Harry tried his best to be a good father, husband and lawyer, but at times like these he felt like he was being pulled from two angles; any moment he'd break in two. Charlotte was the love of his life, no doubt about it, but the job in San Francisco would bring his career to a whole new level, and it had taken it's time to come around. Someone would have to make a sacrifice, but Harry wasn't sure who.

Miranda

She hadn't been able to say no. She'd tried, or at least she thought she had, but the case study had landed on her desk the next morning. Another case. Less time to spend with Brady and Steve, more time needed at the office. As she pulled the file in front of her and started flicking through the pages, Miranda wondered how she'd gone from being so stubborn, to a pushover on the work front. It had taken her a lot of hard work to move up the career ladder – a woman in a mans business, but she'd done it. She'd broken the barriers and become one of those people who revelled in going to work each day – even on Monday mornings.

"Hobbs – you get the file on the Hemmings case?"

"Yup. It's right here," she lifted it up and dropped it back down onto the desk.

"Good, make sure you do a thorough job on this one; could bring us in a new client." As her colleague walked away, Miranda stared back at her picture of Brady and Steve; her family. She hadn't thought she'd be a mum ten years ago. She'd planned on being a career woman till the end, but Steve had changed her life around – literally. The case didn't seem so important, not now when Brady was at home learning to read and write, and she was missing it all. Family mattered, and it seemed that each day Miranda was learning that she couldn't agree more.


End file.
